PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 7 
what had once been a moth) with its head off, its body gone 
altogether, its legs broken, and the wings broken, rubbed and 
nearly scaleless. Well, a thing of that sort is of very little 
use toanyone. With a little care in preparation and packing 
of specimens it is just as easy to send in good material, which 
can be examined, as material in too poor condition for proper 
examination........... a 
Now, those were some of the remarks I made two years ago, and I 
repeat them now partly because some of you were not here two years 
ago and partly because some, who were here then, have not perhaps 
paid as much heed as they might to what I said then. Unless you 
Provincial workers are prepared to work together, with us and 
with one another, your work is not attaining its proper value nor 
can we give you the assistance we might give and which we on our part 
are always willing to give. 
There are one or two points about your work on which I wish to speak 
toyou. Inthe first place, exact records of occurrence of insects, whether 
found as pests or otherwise, are essential. In going over our collection 
to obtain information, this point is very noticeable, especially in the case 
of the older specimens. Vague references, such as “ on cotton ’’, should 
be avoided. Such references are generally valueless and often mis- 
leading. It is just as easy to give an exact record. To label a speci- 
men “on cotton’? means anything or nothing. It may be a serious 
pest or a mere casual visitor resting by chance on a cotton-leaf. But 
if you are sufficiently careful to label your specimen—* larva rolling 
cotton leaf ”’, “‘ larva boring cotton stem ”’, ‘adult eating cotton flower ”’, 
or whatever the facts were—your specimen with its exact record becomes 
of some value. 
Another thing to avoid as far as possible is the use of local names of 
foodplants. It is generally possible for you to ascertain and use the 
correct botanical names of foodplants, and this is especially necessary 
in the case of weeds and wild plants which form alternative foodplants 
of pests. You must remember that local vernacular names are usually 
current only in very limited areas, outside of which they are not under- 
stood at all, and furthermore that they are often applied in such a vague 
way that it is impossible to be certain what is intended even in districts 
where they are current. Even in the case of many major crops their 
common names, both English and vernacular, are often widely different 
in different localities. It is better also to avoid as far as possible the 
use of general terms, such as “ millets”’. 
It is very important to secure exact records of the occurrence of 
common insects. You should endeavour to dismiss from your minds 
